The second her call was answered, she immediately yelled, “Zivon Burton! Regardless of how much you hate me, haven’t you considered that this could affect the kids?! How are they supposed to show their faces at school now?!” Following a brief pause, Nathan’s voice replied, “…Mrs. Burton, Young Master Burton didn’t send that video out at all. You should know that he only sent out that letter to scare you into handing over the children, and also, I believe that he wants to keep them so much since that would mean that you would still occasionally visit…” …Wait, what? That was his reasoning? Also, he wasn’t the one who posted the video? Then… Hold on. Nathan and Rhea were present earlier as well. Since there was no way that Nathan could’ve done it… then Rhea was probably the culprit! Speaking of Rhea… “…You say that, but Rhea-” “As if he could ever fall for such a woman! When she showed up earlier, he immediately told her to leave, though… Since she kept insisting to come in, all h
Her train of thought was cut short when her door suddenly burst open… and in stepped her enraged brothers! “That man clearly wants to destroy your reputation, Xavia! That does it, we’re going to clarify everything with him-” “S-stop!” yelled the frightened Xavia as she grabbed Ian’s arm before pleading, “I-If you do that, then all my efforts would’ve been for naught…!” “Listen, there’s being a saint, and then there’s being plain stupid! I can’t even blame him for his current actions since I’d want to kill you too if you said such things to me!” retorted Ian, instantly causing Xavia to purse her lips. Truth be told, she hadn’t wanted to go that far either, but when she saw how close Zivon and Rhea had been… Well, whatever! Shaking her head, she then took a deep breath before saying, “…Look, I’m determined to see things through. While we’re on the topic, I’m planning on moving out to a small apartment that I previously purchased just so that I can avoid affecting the palace’s goo
“I-I did plan on removing the video, but Mrs. Burton stopped me and her family from removing it!” “…What? Has she finally gone insane…?!” “…Putting that aside, why are you still worried about her reputation now, Young Master Burton…?” …True enough, she had already betrayed him, so why was he being so angry over this scandal? Pursing his lips, he eventually replied, “…I’m doing this for the sake of the kids! Now hand me my phone! I’m talking some sense into her!” Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Nathan then muttered, “…Right away, Young Master Burton.” The second she picked up, he immediately growled, “Let either your family or Nathan handle the news. Now.” Startled to hear that, it took her a while to reply, “…What do you care?” Naturally, Xavia now knew that he was still worried about her, but she still had to keep up the illusion… Regardless, the irked man then retorted, “Sure, you’re the villainess in that video, but what do you think people will start saying once
“I’ll be sure to tell the world how sadistic you are too! And how you raped me and flirted with other women at work! To aid in that pursuit, I’ll even get Brother to hire ghostwriters, and once all is done, the world will eventually view me as the victim instead!” Now angrier than ever before, Zivon had murderous intent as he growled, “When the hell did I ever rape you…?! And what the hell do you mean I flirted with other women!? Do you think I’ve stooped to your level?!” Though Xavia was already in immense pain as well, she clenched her fists before adding, “…Isn’t it rape when you kept fucking me for nights on end without my consent?! And sure, you haven’t flirted with other women, but it’s clear that that’s only the case because it’s inconvenient for a cripple like you to be in love! Why else would you have humiliated me in front of that student of yours?!” “If you still had your legs, I’m sure you would’ve banged her from the roof to the front door, but too bad! I’m the only
Smirking bitterly, Xavia replied, “Oh, so now they’re thinking about the bigger picture? After all the damage has been done…?! Listen, on the night I attempted to explain myself to him, I found him self-harming…! I’ve already told you that I attempted to end my life as well! If they didn’t consider what would befall me and Von, then why should I give a damn about them?! And yes, I’m different now!” “After all, it was my gullibility that caused me to suffer so much in the past! Are you saying I should return to playing a fool instead?!” Naturally, Mark was hurt to hear all that. To think that she had experienced such pain because of his parents’ actions… It took him a while, but he eventually replied, “…I apologize for not considering all that. All this is our fault, and I’m willing to accept the consequences. Until then, do have a good rest…” Watching as he walked off, Xavia couldn’t help but sigh. There was a time when she assumed that it was possible to enjoy simple, uncomple
After all, the almighty Young Master Burton was now staring at her with reddened eyes as he begged, “…Please, Xav… Please don’t leave me…!” Naturally, Xavia was too shocked to even respond. After all, who the hell could have anticipated this reaction?! Since she wasn’t responding, Zivon continued hugging her tightly as he added, “I… I’m sorry for carelessly losing the ability to walk and give you a proper sexual life…! I failed to perform my husbandly duties, and I even made you sad over and over again…! Please don’t leave my side…!” It was evident that Zivon’s dignity was now in shambles, and staring at the broken man, Xavia had to use all her might not to give up and hug him tightly! Just as she was wondering what she should do, Zivon began hugging her even tighter as he said, “…I… I’ve given it plenty of thought, and I’ve made my decision. I’m amputating my leg, and using prosthetic ones instead from now on. Not only will I be able to walk again, but I’ll arguably be able to
Before Zivon could wheel them out the door, Xavia wriggled free from his arms before retorting, “…You’re wasting your time! Even if you get prosthetics, I’ll still hate the feeling of your icy cold prosthetics against my legs every time I wake up! Listen, I like someone with the full package, so just… Beat it! You’ll forever be a cripple in my eyes!” Naturally, her response was excruciatingly painful to Zivon! Had she not been moved at all? Was it not clear that he couldn’t live with the knowledge of her being by Mark’s side…?! “…Xav, didn’t you tell that salesman that there was nothing wrong with being disabled…? In fact, you even kept bragging about how exceptional I was in bed…! You also vowed never to leave my side, so… I… I know you still love me…!” replied the broken man as he attempted to take her hand… Alas, she simply took a few steps back before retorting, “It’s true that I used to love you, but once you became a cripple, I began seeing all the problems between us. Asid
Oh, how Xavia wanted to just give in and return to his side right now…! To just heal his broken heart and hope for the best…! Alas, doing so would guarantee that his legs would never ever recover… And that just wasn’t worth giving up on! Not after all this suffering! With that, she simply took a deep breath before shutting the apartment door behind her… A complete refusal. By the time Nathan arrived seconds later, he couldn’t help but tremble when he noticed how icy Zivon’s aura was… So, Xavia had managed to keep up the act… Just how much determination did she have for her to make such a ruthless decision…? That aside, Zivon was equally as pitiful with his constant abandonment issues popping up… Oh, if only those people cursing Xavia online knew how much they actually loved each other! Regardless, Xavia ended up crying throughout the night, immensely saddened for having to hurt Zivon so much… She also kept praying that he wouldn’t actually leave her once his legs healed… Natura
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a